Sheet-feeding mechanism



W. R. ANDERSON AND U. G. EDINGER.

SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM.

Agrucmon FILED JULY 2a. 1920.

Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

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ang: my S UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM IR. ANDERSON AND URBAN EDINGER, 0F KINGSTON, NEW YORK.

`SHEET-FEEDING- MECHANISM.

Application mea July 2s, 1920. serial No. 399,465.

To @Z110/1mm t may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM R. ANDER- soN and URBAN G. EDINGER,citizens of the United States, residing` at Kingston, in the county ofUlster and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Sheetdeeding Mechanism; and we hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of thisspecication.

This invention is an improvement in apparatus for feeding sheets, or forseparat ing sheets of paper from a pile of paper and delivering them toanother point; such for example separating and feeding sheets from apile of paper into position to be fed to the cylinder of a printingpress.

rlllhe invention consists in a novel suction pickup apparatus adapted topick up a sheet by suction and carry it to the point where the sheet isto be delivered and there release the sheet.

Preferably the pickup is so constructed that when it is lowered upon apile of paper the suction member is automatically released so that whenthe pickup rises it will lift the top sheet of paper and carry it withit; and when the pickup is lowered with the sheet at the point ofdelivery the suction is released and the suction member renderedineffective, so that when the pickup rises to return to the sheet pickuppoint the sheet is left lying upon the support to which it wastransferred.

As the invention when understood may be embodied in variousconstructions it is not limited to the particular form illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, though this is the at present preferred formof the device, and will be described in detail herein to enable othersskilled in the art to understand and use the same. ln the claims thenovel features of construction and combination of parts for whichprotection is desired are set forth.

In said drawings Figure l is a view showing the pick up in elevation andcarrying a sheet in; full lines; and indicating in dotted lines itspositions b'oth at the 'sheet pick up point and also at the sheetdelivery point.

F ig. 2 is a bottom plan View thereof.

`As shown the pick up comprises a base plate l, which may be of anysuitable material but is preferably formed of a board.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 19,21.

with a lower facing of metal. This base is perforated in any suitablemanner, as shown at la, through which suction maybe created upon a sheetunderlying the base when the suction device is operated. `To prevent thesheet being drawn into the openings wires may be strung across the openeings as indicated at lb, or other suitable means may be used. i

Mounted upon the basek l is a suction member, shown as a bellows, 2 thelower portion or mouth of which closes allthe openings la. The upper endof this bellows is attached to' a top plate 3, which may correspond inform and size to the base l. The top plate 3 is preferably movabletoward and from the base l and may be guided in its movement by anysuitable means. As shown guide rods or bars l may be attached at theirlower ends Ato the base 1 and engage eyes or loops 3C attached to thetop plate 3. Guide rods ld may be attached to the baseI l and engageeyes 3d attached to the top 3, and springs 4 may be strung on the rods1d, so as to cushion the descent of the top plate, or compression of thebellows, and also cause the top plate to rise quickly when it ispermitted to do it, and create suction by the expansion of the bellows.f

The pick up may be operated back and forth between the sheet pickuppoint and the sheet delivery point, by any suitable means. As indicatedthe top plate may be provided with any suitable means for carryn ing thepickup and connected with any suit able means whereby the pickup may 'bemoved from the point on table A, F ig. 1, where the sheets are to bepicked up, to 'the point lon table B, Fig. l, where the sheets are to bedelivered. The point A may be a pile .of paper and the point B may bethe feed board of a printing press, or other suitable device operatingupon the sheets, not shown, and any suitable means ymay be employed forlifting the pickup at the table A and then moving it over to andlowering it upon table B, and then lifting it from the table B andmoving it over to and lowering it upon the table A.

As shown the top plate is provided with eyes through which `pass a rod5, which is connected to levers 58L pivoted at 5h, upon suitablesupports; and levers 5a may be connected by a rod 5 with similar leversor cranks 5 which may be operated by any suitable means (not shown) soas to cause the levers 511 to swing and thus move the pickup in asemi-cir ular path from the table EL to the table B and return.

When the pickup is lowered onto the table fr it should be lowered withsuilicient torce to compress the bellows 2 and the springs el, and thusexhaust the air from the bellows sc that the springs will throw up thetop plate, (on the initial working stroke of the pickup), and create asuction sutilcient to cause a sheet S to adhere to the underside of thebase 1 and be carried therewith from 'the point A. to the point B. Atthe point l5 the bellows is compressed so that the air is exhaustedtherefrom loosening the sheet 'troni the plate, and the bellows istemporarily locked in this compressed exhausted position when loweredupon the table B, by any suitable means, so that when the pickup islifted from the table B the sheet S is lett lying thereon; and thelocking device is'released when the pickup is nent lowered upon thetable A. Thus on its next working stroke the pickup will lift a sheetfrom table A, as above described.

Any suitable automatically operable device may be employed tor engagingand disengaging the bellows lock or catch.a

As shown a three-armed lever is pivoted to the side of the base 1, at 6.This lever has a catch'arm 6a adapted to engage a pin or retainer 3 onthe top plate 3 when the pickup'is lowered on to the table B. Said leveralso has an arm 6b which is adapted to engage a pin 1o on the base 1when the pickup is Vlowered onto the table B and the catch engages thepin 30. Arm 6b also carries a pin 6e which is adapted to engage e trip 7attached to a suitable support adjacent the point A, so that when thepickup is lowered at the point A the pin 6e engaging trip 7 causes thelever to turn and disengage latch 6a from the pin 8, so that upon thenext raising of the pickup the bellows can open rand create sutlicientsuction to pick up and carry away the top sheet ot paper S, asdescribed.

rllhe catch lever also has arm 6c which is adapted to engage a tripmember 7l attached to a suitable support adjacent the point B so that asthe pickup is lowered onto the table B the arm 6 of the lever engagesthe trip 7*l and causes the catch 6@ to engage the pin 3. The trip "iais preterably a spring trip so that it will yieldingly engage the arm6C. 0n the base 1 is a stop lug or finger 1S adapted to engage the arm6c and limit the opening movement ot the catch.

Operation.

As indicated in Fig. l the pickup is moved from the table A to the tableB on an arcuate or semi-circular path. When it is lowered onto the tableA the bellows is compressed and the catch 6a is disengaged, and on thelifting of the pickup the bellows creates a suction which causes the topsheet S to adhere to the bottom of base l ot the pickup; and such sheetis carried by the pickup from the table A over to and lowered onto thetable B. As it is lowered upon the table B the bellows is compressed andreleases the paper, and the bellows is locked in compressed position bythe catch 6a, so that on the return movement of the pickup trom thetable B, the bellows creetes no suction and the sheet S is lett lyingupon the table B; but when the pickup is i 'ain lowered onto the tableand the surtace oi? the base 1 rests upon the sheet, the latch isdisengaged and consequently when the pickup again rises the bellowscreates a suction and another sheet is picked up and carried over totable B.

llfhat we claim is:

1. 1n mechanism for feeding or transferring sheets of paper, a sheetpickup comprising an expansible and contractible suction device; meansmoving the pickup back and forth 'troni the point ot' pickup to thepoint of delivery, and means for releasing the suction device andpermitting it to expand at the point ot pickup, and tor holding theexpansion device contracted at the point ot delivery. Y

2. ln mechanism tor feeding or transferrin. r sheets ot paper, a pickupcomprising a l plate and a bellows connected me tor moving the pickupand forth from the point ot' pickup to back the point of delivery andmeans for releasing` the bellows at the pickup point so as to create suc'"n when it moves therefrom; means for cr i .ac the bellows at thedelivery point to releas the sheet, and means 'for locking the bellowsagainst expansion when itis iii-:wed Yfrom the delivery point.

3. 1n mechanism for feeding sheets ot paper, a sheet pickup comprising abellows, a latch :tor locking the bellows, and means whereby the latchis caused to release the bellows at the sheet taking point and to lockthe bellows in compressed position at the sheet delivery point,

4.-. 1n mechanism for feeding sheets ot paper, a sheet pickup comprisinga perforated base plate, a bellows connected therewith, a ,latch forlocking the bellows, and means at the sheet taking point and the sheetdelivery point adapted to cooperate with the latch whereby the bellowsis released at the sheet taking point and is locked in compressedposition at the sheet delivery point.

5. A sheet pickup for sheet feeding apparatus; comprising a perforatedplate, a contractible and expansible suction member connected therewith;means for moving the pickup device from the point of pickup to the pointof delivery; and means whereby the suction member is released when thepickup is lowered upon a sheet at the pickup point so that when it isagain raised it will expand and lift the sheet by suction.

6. In combination with a pickup as set forth in claim 5, means forreleasing the sheet at the delivery point.

7. A sheet pickup and sheet feeding apparatus comprising a perforatedplate; a contractible and enpansible suction member connected therewith;means whereby the suction member is released when the pickup is loweredupon a sheet so that when it is again raised it will expand and lift thesheet by suction; and means whereby when the pickup is next lowered thesuction member is contracted and locked, so that when the pickup isagain raised it will release the sheet.

8. In combination with a pickup as set forth in claim 7, means formoving the pickup from the sheet pickup point to the sheet deliverypoint; means for locking the suction member in contracted position whenthe pickup is lowered at the delivery point; and means for releasing thesuction member when the pickup is lowered at the sheet taking point.

9. A sheet pickup comprising a perforated base plate, a bellowsconnected therewith; a latch for locking the bellows and means at thesheet taking point and at the sheet delivery point adapted torespectively coperate with the latch; whereby the bellows is released atthe sheet taking point and is locked in compressed position at the sheetdelivery point.

l0. In combination a sheet pickup comprising a perforated base plate, abellows connected therewith; means for moving the pickup de r`ice fromthe sheet pickup point to the sheet delivery point: a latch for lockingthe bellows and means adapted to engage the latch at the sheet takingpoint and cause it to hold the bellows in compressed position when thepickup is lowered at the sheet delivery point; and means at the sheettaking point adapted to engage the latch and release the bellows whenthe pickup is lowered at the sheet taking point.

ll. In mechanism for feeding or transferring sheets of paper, acontractible and expansible pickup, means for moving the pickup back andforth from the point of pickup to the point of delivery; means forreleasing the pickup at the pickup point so as to create suction when itmoves therefrom; means for contracting the pickup at the delivery pointto release the sheet; and means for locking the pickup against eX-pansion when it is moved from the delivery point.

l2. In mechanism for feeding or transferring sheets of paper; a sheetpickup com` prising a perforated plate and a bellows connectedtherewith; means for moving the pickup back and forth from the point ofpickup to the point of delivery, said pickup being adapted when loweredupon a pile of sheets of paper to automatically create sumcient suctionwhen lifted to pick up an underlying sheet and remove it with thepickup; and means to cause the pickup to release the sheet at the pointof delivery of the sheet.

18. In mechanism for feeding or trans ferring sheets of paper; a bellowssheet pickup; means for moving the pickup back and forth from the pointof pickup to the point of delivery; means for releasing the bellows atthe pickup point so as to create suction when it moves therefrom; meansfor contracting the bellows at the delivery point to release the sheet;and means for locking the bellows against expansion when it is movedfrom the delivery point.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we affix oursignatures.

WILLIAM lt. ANDERSON. URBAN Gr. EDINGER.

